phosphene means A sensation of lights induced by mechanical, electrical, or magnetic stimulation (rather than optical) of the retina or visual cortex, or by random firing of cells in the visual system. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “phosphene” is a great word
PHOSPHENE — [Noun] A sensation of light, such as spots or patterns, caused by pressure on the eyeball or by electrical or magnetic stimulation of the visual system, rather than by light entering the eye. From French phosphène, from Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs, "light") + φαίνω (phaínō, "to appear, to shine"). Unlike photopsia, which suggests flashes from internal ocular disturbances, or afterimage, the ghost of a real light imprinted on fatigued receptors, a phosphene is light conjured from darkness by sheer physical intrusion. It is the private galaxy seen when you press your palms to closed lids, the sudden starfield from a blow to the head, or the geometric phantoms sparked by a neurologist's electrode—proof that vision is not a window, but a canvas the mind will paint upon by any means necessary.
Etymology
From French phosphène, from Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs, “light”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to appear, shine”).
noun
- A sensation of lights induced by mechanical, electrical, or magnetic stimulation (rather than optical) of the retina or visual cortex, or by random firing of cells in the visual system.